Pella Accommodation

This is Bushmanland (Namakwa), and at its heart in the Northern Cape is the oasis of Pella. The oasis is situated at the base of the stark Great Pella Mountains, only a few kilometres south of the Orange River and although it is well known for its dates, the area is also rich in gemstones such as malachite, jasper and rose quartz. Although it is beautiful, life in Pella has its hardships. During the summer months the average temperature can reach 40 degrees Celsius and years can go by without rain. But when it does rain, the desert rain storms can be severe and flooding is likely to occur. 1984 saw a desert storm that caused such severe flooding that one of the town's main tourist attractions, The Pella Cathedral was almost condemned had it not been for the help of a local mining company.

The Pella Cathedral which forms the centre of the oasis was built by Father JM Simon, Father Leo Wolf and the brothers of the Order of St Francis de Sales in 1894. One of the interesting things about the Cathedral was that there were no plans, the Roman-Gothic style construction was based on pictures in the Encyclopedie des Arts et Metiers (Encyclopaedia of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts), and despite their lack of engineering plans this marvellous place of prayer was completed in only seven years. Construction is said to have taken 500 trips to the Orange River and back, each trip returning with 400 brick. It is recorded that the building required 350 bags of slaked lime and 200 cartloads of sand and 400 wagonloads of stones for the foundations. Legend tells us that Father Simon carved the large altar crucifix himself, using only his pocket knife, during a six-month period of solitude. The church was consecrated in 1895 by Bishop Rooney of Cape Town. Over 120 years later the building is still a special place and if you look at the walls, you will see the resultant marks, at waist height on the walls, of the flood damage that almost saw the end of one of the most remarkable construction efforts of its time.

This oasis is still largely populated by the descendants of the mission station converts that settled there many many years ago. This is a population who still tend herds of goats and karakul sheep, and cultivate dates, sweet potatoes, and figs, not to mention the grape vines from which wine has been made. And remember, next time you are in Pella don't forget to taste what are said to be some of the sweetest dates in the world.